Smoky Jon's #1 BBQ — Restaurant in Madison

I really want to give them 4.5 stars. Or even 4.9. I need to deduct something, but it doesnt have to be a whole star.

My friend Todd and I are BBQ aficionados and self proclaimed experts. We have taken on the weighty task of reviewing all of the BBQ options in Wisconsin. We also make a point to try BBQ in every city and state we travel to, and between the two of us we've probably covered all 48.

Smoky Jon's is easily our #2 choice in Madison, and possibly the midwest (if not, then definitely #3). They earn #1 in some sub categories especially the sauce.

Smoky Jon's has won multiple regional and national awards and it's not hard to see why. Most of their awards seem to be for the sauce and they are well deserved. DEFINITELY my favorite BBQ sauce in the midwest. It's very sweet and very spicy at the same time. EXCESSIVELY flavorful. I normally prefer a vinegar based sauce over a sweet sauce, but this sauce is too good not to win. If you dont like spicy, you might not like it, but then why are you eating BBQ? Meat needs a little spice. I need to start buying bottles of this. I might just drink it straight from the bottle.

Ribs are excellent. Our #1 pick for midwest BBQ, That BBQ Joint, wins here, only because their ribs are meatier and their dry rub is AMAZING. But Smoky Jon's ribs have plenty of smoke taste, the texture is perfect, and their sauce is the perfect compliment. When I am craving well sauced ribs, these are what I crave.

I asked if they had "hot link" and they said they did, but what they gave me was smoked sausage. It was EXCELLENT smoked sausage, lots of smoke flavor, but when I ask for hot link, I'm expecting Chicago Style hot link, which is a very different animal (pun not intended). No where in Madison seems to have it since Papa Bear's BBQ closed. Actually, I cant find it anywhere outside of Chicago any more. That said, Smoky Jon's is not Chicago style BBQ, so their style of link sausage is probably more fitting

Smoky Jon's brisket is pulled. I prefer sliced brisket. It did not have overwhelming flavor, although it tasted great once I poured on the sauce. Probably wont order brisket again. TBBQJ wins handily here.

Sides were TINY portions. The baked beans tasted canned. The mac & cheese was good and very creamy. The sugar fried biscuits reminded me of beignets and were amazing.

Points deducted for:

My ribs came with a small amount of sauce on them, and my link and brisket came dry. They included a TINY container of sauce for all 3 meats and I had to ask for extra. Sometimes they charge for extra sauce. I know it's their claim to fame, but come on! Let us use as much as we can when we order in! I wont drink it straight from the bottle!

We arrived at about 8:20, ordered our food, and while we were waiting for it, were told the dining room closed at 8.30 and we would have to take it to go. According to the website, they are open until 9.

Update: Went back, was in the mood for the link again so I didnt try any new proteins (next time I need to get a chicken). I tried the garlic mashed potatoes (EXCELLENT, almost as good as my wife's) and the potato salad (too sweet and soupy). Customer service...

I have been reading and hearing about Smokey Jon’s BBQ in Madison for years. Most accounts say it is the best BBQ place Madison if not the entire state of Wisconsin. With more than 100 awards, including many national and world awards, Smokey Jon’s is rated a must stop for anyone who enjoys barbecue. And, I fit into that category.

Usually in Madison around business activities, I never took the time to stop until the other day when I stopped for lunch. Now, it is going to be a must stop every time I am in Madison.

Smokey Jon’s is located in a nondescript building on a busy street on Madison’s east side. There is virtually no parking, but I was lucky to find a spot along a side street. This mainly a takeout type of place although there is a cozy little seating area with about 12 tables.

You order your meal at a “hole in the wall” counter from a very pleasant cashier/server. The menu is a large, painted sign over the counter and it took me several minutes to read through all the meal options. Finally, I selected the 1/3/Slab and Smoked Pork Shoulder Sandwich dinner knowing that I would have leftovers for dinner that night. My meal came with 2 side dishes. I chose applesauce and buttered corn from the 10 options available.

The server brought my meal to the table in less than 5 minutes. The 1/3 slab of ribs was smothered with their “famous” barbecue sauce. The ribs were perfectly smoked; they were meaty, juicy and falling off the bone tender with a nice bark. The sauce had a nice zip but was not overpoweringly hot. It was one of the best barbecue sauces I recall ever eating. I can see why it won a world award for barbecue sauce. My only problem is there was only 1/3 slab of the best ribs I have eaten in a very long time.

The Smoked Pork Shoulder sandwich was a mound of shredded pork on a rather plain sesame seed roll. The barbecue sauce was served on the side. I sampled the sandwich meat but saved the sandwich itself for dinner. The real surprise of the meal though was the corn. It had a spicy, roasted buttery flavor that was a surprise.

Smokey Jon’s gets my vote for best barbecue...

I'll start off by first stating that I have lived in regions of the country with excellent barbeque for most of my life. I love barbeque, my family loves barbeque, to the point where we took family road trips to some of the best barbeque places in the United States. So I think that I have an excellent background in which to judge Smoky Jon's #1 BBQ.

We ordered the ribs and the sliced brisket, with mac-n-cheese, baked beans, corn, and garlic mashed potatoes for sides.

Brisket and Ribs The brisket was utterly uninspiring. The meat was fatty, but not in the good way that well-marbled meat should be, like if the cows that made the brisket were morbidly obese. Good brisket, which this was not, should fall apart. Disappointingly, I had to cut the pieces that were too large, indicating that this meat was not tender. The flavor of the meat itself was tasteless.

Brisket is hard to get right. I've had mediocre brisket at places where I would literally fight people to eat the ribs. Unfortunately, this was not the case at Smoky Jon's. While good ribs should fall of the bone, Smoky Jon's were pretty firmly lodged in there. The ribs tasted a little off, and the meat quality wasn't great.

Sauce The sauce was fine. Maybe a little on the too sweet and too sour side, but not the worst I've ever had.

Side Dishes Each of the sides was disappointing in their own unique way. The corn tasted like it was straight out of a can, and the baked beans tasted like Bush's baked beans. The garlic mashed potatoes were tasted like they were seasoned with garlic powder instead of actual garlic. The mac-n-cheese, which is surprisingly well reviewed by other people, is macaroni and what tastes like a blend of melted cheddar and Velveeta. I didn't like it in the slightest.

Conclusion If you, like me, are a transplant from a region of the country well-endowed with barbeque, you should avoid this place, despite how many people tell you it's the best place in Madison.

Go to North-South instead of this place. Or, even better, drive six hours to St. Louis to get your...